Let’s identify the 6 teams reportedly eager to sign Ben Bishop

When the Los Angeles Kings traded for Ben Bishop at the NHL trade deadline, everyone knew the partnership would be temporary.

And with the Kings sliding further out of the playoff race, it’s already time for speculating where the goalie will land when he hits free agency this summer.

During TSN’s Insider Trading segment on Tuesday, insider Darren Dreger reported that at least six teams are interested in signing Bishop this offseason.

That’s a ... decent number. Obviously, the level of interest varies. But that number is big enough that we’d like to narrow it down a bit.

So let’s whittle. Note: none of this is based on anything but reasoned speculation, logic, and process of elimination. This reporting is based on the sources in my brain that talk to me.

If six teams want Bishop, 25 teams don’t based on Dreger’s reporting. Let’s start by identifying them.

The Penguins (1) most certainly wouldn’t. Matt Murray is the goalie of the future, and they still have to untangle themselves from Marc-Andre Fleury this offseason.

The Capitals (2) have Braden Holtby. The Sharks (3) have Martin Jones. We can rule out the Blues (4), Devils (5), Canadiens (6), Wild (7), Kings (8), Oilers (9), Blue Jackets (10), Blackhawks (11), Bruins (12), Ducks (13) and Rangers (14). All of those teams have solid-to-elite goaltending.

And the Lightning (15) definitely won’t bring Bishop back.

That’s 10 teams left that aren’t interested. Or, in Dreger’s words, “considerably” interested. Let’s set them aside and focus on who is ...

Duh.

Vegas (1) will be in on every top goalie on the free agent market, whether that’s Fleury, Bishop, or Brian Elliott. Bishop with the Golden Knights is probably a safe bet right now.

Throw the Flames (2) into the mix, as well. That Insider Trading segment had some news on their talks with Elliott. Namely, that they haven’t started yet. GM Brad Treliving must be doing his homework on what it would take to sign Bishop if Elliott leaves.

Another interesting nugget from the insiders: the Hurricanes (3) and Stars (4) are keenly interested in Blackhawks backup Scott Darling. Expect both to target Darling, who will come cheaper than Bishop. But when one of them loses out on Darling, Bishop will land in their crosshairs.

So we’ve eliminated or identified the obvious teams in or out of the Bishop hunt. Who are the two mystery teams who want him?

It’s hard to see the Maple Leafs (16) trying to find a Frederik Andersen replacement after the season he’s had. I don’t know why I didn’t include him in the first section. Too late! I don’t want to scroll up. Battery life.

Pekka Rinne isn’t what he once was, but he hasn’t regressed to the point that the Predators (17) will make an expensive change in net.

Roberto Luongo could retire this summer. The Panthers (18) signed James Reimer last offseason for a reason: the starting job is his for at least a season after Luongo is gone. Not in time to heel-turn and sign Bishop.

The Avalanche (19) obviously want to move on from Semyon Varlamov. And when they do, they won’t sign another veteran goalie. The net will belong to youngsters Calvin Pickard and Spencer Martin as they rebuild.

A few remaining teams might not pursue Bishop because they think they have an answer in net already. I don’t think the Red Wings (20) are ready to give up on Petr Mrazek yet. Two of the Flyers’ (21) three goalies (Steve Mason, Michal Neuvirth, or Anthony Stolarz) are set in stone for next year.

Ryan Miller’s days with the Canucks (22) are numbered, but Jacob Markstrom might get a long look as starter if he leaves. Hard to see Vancouver splurging on another older goalie.

Three teams left. I’m starting to sweat.

I think the Coyotes (23) aren’t ready to move on from Mike Smith yet. Just a gut feeling. He’s one of the few veteran leaders left on that team and that’s valuable as super-young players come up next year. Not that Bishop wouldn’t be, but Smith is pretty ingrained in the Coyotes’ culture by now.

As for Robin Lehner and the Sabres (24) ... nobody in that room has been more vocal about the team’s play this winter than him. Like Smith and the Coyotes, Lehner has been a strong voice on a young team. And he’s only 25 years old, with solid numbers. I think Buffalo gives him an extension this offseason instead of chasing Bishop.

One more team. And it’s probably the Senators (25). Mike Condon proved everyone wrong while Craig Anderson was out caring for his wife. If you want a goalie tandem, you could do worse than Anderson and Condon.

Hey, look: two teams are left. My maths are good.

Maybe Connor Hellebuyck is the future goalie for the Jets (5). There’s enough reason to doubt that after this inconsistent season, and Michael Hutchinson hasn’t been great as his backup either. Winnipeg’s front office might feel like they’re closer to contention than it showed this year, and there’s not much reason to doubt them. Their talent pool is rich enough to contend if they can get solid goaltending.

Why not swing for Bishop?

The last team that fits Dreger’s report is the Islanders (6). Good luck getting back on Jaroslav Halak’s good side after keeping him in the minors for much of the season. If that can’t be repaired, the Islanders might feel they need to move on. John Tavares’ upcoming contract might ultimately keep them from signing Bishop, but we could believe they’d be one of the six teams Dreger’s reporting about.

We’ll see. Desperate teams make desperate moves for goalies. The race for Bishop will surely be fun.